Bathrooms biggest risk for hot water scalds and burns

The bathroom is one of the most hazardous rooms in the house for babies, young children and the elderly. This is where scalds and hot water burns can occur, as well as falls and drowning.

Victoria's plumbing regulations, which are overseen and enforced by the Victorian Building Authority (VBA), limit heated water temperatures in bathrooms to no more than 50 degrees at the basin, bath and shower in new houses and, where appropriate, in renovations.

The VBA reminds householders the only exceptions to this are in premises intended for children and the elderly, such as early childhood centres, schools and nursing homes, where the heated water temperature limit is 45 degrees.

Read the VBA's media release to find out more about the hot water requirements for your home or business.

The recent withdrawal of nine Certificates of Conformity issued under the CodeMark Scheme has again highlighted the need for practitioners to take due care when accepting Certificates as evidence of suitability. While practitioners are entitled to accept or rely on a Certificate as evidence of suitability, they need to carefully review each Certificate to ascertain its current validity.

The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) welcomes the decision of Vice President Judge Woodward of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) in the proceedings brought by the owners of the Lacrosse building against LU Simon Builders Pty Ltd and others.